dust storm

American  

[duhst stawrm] / ˈdʌst ˌstɔrm /

Or duststorm

noun

Meteorology.

• dust storms
  plural

1. an occurrence of strong winds permeating the air with fine particles of dust over an extensive area of normally arable land during a period of drought.

   It was a time of danger and despair on the prairie, with one dust storm after another.

---

dust storm British  

noun

1. a windstorm that whips up clouds of dust

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dust storms
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of dust storm

First recorded in 1875–80

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dust storm

As we walked past bustling street markets selling mangoes, clothes, footwear and vegetables to meet siblings Abhishek and Kajal, a dust storm appeared on the horizon.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

And as Burning Man kicked off in Nevada’s desert northwest, a major dust storm forced traffic to a halt as attendees tried to avoid the desert’s wrath.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2025

Over the weekend, Musk said changes are being made at the launch pad to avoid what he called a dust storm and “rock tornado” at the next launch.

From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2023

Combination of newly plowed fields & gusty northwest winds is generating a dust storm in this area.

From Washington Post ● May 1, 2023

The New York Times proclaimed it “the greatest dust storm in United States history.”

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• sandstorm

---